Beijing refuses South China Sea arbitration award

Beijing on Tuesday said it neither accepts nor recognises the award of an arbitral tribunal in the South China Sea arbitration established at the request of the Philippines.

"The award is null and void and has no binding force," Xinhua news agency quoted Chinese Foreign Ministry as saying in a statement.

China's territorial sovereignty and maritime rights and interests in the South China Sea "shall under no circumstances be affected by those awards", the ministry said.

China opposes and will never accept any claim or action based on those awards, it added in the statement.

"China has territorial sovereignty and maritime rights and interests in the South China Sea," said a separate statement, adding that China has historic rights in the South China Sea.

China is always firmly opposed to the invasion and illegal occupation by certain states of some islands and reefs of China's Nansha Qundao (the Nansha Islands), and activities infringing upon China's rights and interests in relevant maritime areas under China's jurisdiction, according to the statement.

--IANS

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